Creative groundcover combos
This Old House Magazine|Summer 2022
Why settle for a one-note planting when there's so much variety to try? Here's how to weave a tapestry of low-growing perennials that will beautify your yard
MICHELLE GERVAIS
Creative groundcover combos

Workhorses in the landscape, groundcovers spread to knit a tight, low-maintenance carpet of foliage that densely covers bare earth. Not just pleasing to look at, they serve a number of practical purposes as well: “Groundcovers can stabilize the soil, help it retain moisture, and prevent weeds from taking hold” says TOH landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, who prefers them to mulch where she knows they will thrive. And while there are times when filling a bare spot with a swath of a single plant provides a welcome rest for the eye, she loves the idea of combining two or more species for a pleasing mix of foliage shape, color, and texture, turning groundcovers into a design tool rather than just a backdrop.

What constitutes a groundcover plant? The most familiar are low-growing, creeping perennials that spread densely. Most of these have horizontal stems, either above or below the soil, that spread in all directions, sending down roots and sending up shoots as they go, like the familiar periwinkle and pachysandra. But taller clumping perennials, including hostas and some ferns, also fulfill this role. These plants expand in size more slowly by getting just a little wider each year. Consider working in flowering perennials that spread to a dense, hefty stand, too, such as lady's mantle, epimediums, and coral bells.

Of course, groundcover plants are generally grown for their foliage and bloom for only a short window each season. So it's most important to consider the texture of groundcovers' foliage and the color and sheen of their leaves when putting them together, like the fuzzy silver leaves of lamb's ears and the rounded, shiny deep-green leaves of European wild ginger. If flowering is also important to you, consider combining groundcovers that have different bloom times so that as one fades, another takes its place in the spotlight.

This story is from the Summer 2022 edition of This Old House Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Summer 2022 edition of This Old House Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THIS OLD HOUSE MAGAZINEView All
Mobile kitchen island
This Old House Magazine

Mobile kitchen island

TOH DIY expert Jenn Largesse shows how to build a rolling kitchen cart with a butcher-block top

time-read
3 mins  |
Fall 2023
Bathtub tray
This Old House Magazine

Bathtub tray

TOH general contractor Tom Silva and TOH host Kevin O'Connor construct a slatted zebrawood caddy to hold grooming essentials, a book, and even a glass of wine, for those who like a long soak

time-read
3 mins  |
Fall 2023
Navigating the rise in mortgage rates
This Old House Magazine

Navigating the rise in mortgage rates

Looking to buy—or refinance—and feeling frustrated by lenders’ sky-high interest rates? Here’s how to get the best deal

time-read
4 mins  |
Fall 2023
Graceful grasses
This Old House Magazine

Graceful grasses

With dramatic foliage and distinctive plumes, ornamental grasses come in sizes to suit virtually any garden

time-read
7 mins  |
Fall 2023
A better asphalt driveway
This Old House Magazine

A better asphalt driveway

It's long-lasting and recyclable, and it weathers extreme temperatures. You can repair small cracks and divots in asphalt, too. Here's what you need to know to get-and maintain-a great-looking asphalt driveway

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2023
Modernizing a mid-century house
This Old House Magazine

Modernizing a mid-century house

A family turns to TOH to renovate a 1960 house that had been awkwardly expanded over time. Their goal: to create a contemporary, energy-efficient, open-plan home that is fully accessible for a son with mobility issues

time-read
4 mins  |
Fall 2023
Making a house her own
This Old House Magazine

Making a house her own

Renovating in stages over nearly two decades, a homeowner transforms a once forlorn bungalow into a cozy, very personal space

time-read
6 mins  |
Fall 2023
A little house that lives large
This Old House Magazine

A little house that lives large

A reimagined interior and second-story addition double the living area inside a narrow shotgun house, while respecting its historical roots

time-read
4 mins  |
Fall 2023
Before & After: Bath Fit for a Queen Anne
This Old House Magazine

Before & After: Bath Fit for a Queen Anne

Classic meets modern in this primary-suite retreat

time-read
1 min  |
Fall 2023
Before & After: Kitchen Moving a wall makes it work
This Old House Magazine

Before & After: Kitchen Moving a wall makes it work

Grabbing a few feet from the adjacent dining room yields major layout improvements

time-read
2 mins  |
Fall 2023